31 May 2026

May 2026 – Zen and the Art of Vintage Guitar Photography

by CRAVEGuitars | posted in: Introduction, Observations, Opinion | 0

Prelude

HELLO THERE OR, IN ANCIENT ENGLISH PARLANCE, hail, what do ye, hwæt, wilcuma, godne dag, how fare ye, be thou healthy, and hāl. I thought I’d run out of pretentious greetings. Not this month. I will do my best to keep things simple for the rest of this tremendously tantalising tome. It also seems to me that a lengthy introduction is largely superfluous, so I’ll keep the preamble short and get onto the subject matter sooner rather than later for once. Wonders will cease… just not yet.

It seems that no‑one is taking heed of my passionate campaign for peace & love in the tortuous trials of 21^st Century Earth, so I won’t waste any more time on it this month. It seems hate has conquered love, at least for now. Bad news for everyone. I won’t stop hoping for a better world, though, with or without people. For the sake of the 7.8 million (at least) other species that inhabit Earth, life without people would probably be a good thing.

This Month at CRAVE Guitars…

Altogether now, “Say cheese”! (NB. A phrase that first appeared in 1943, popularised by American ambassador to the Soviet Union, Joseph E. Davies (1876‑1958)). “Click!” Get the picture? This article – as signposted by the title – is dedicated to the ‘art’ of photographing vintage guitar gear. Predominantly, from the author’s perspective, that means guitars. I don’t do this from the position of a professional photographer and I don’t claim to have the skills required to produce world class photographs.

I have had an interest in photography (and art) since I was a teenager, some few decades ago now, and I am familiar with the basic principles. As a result, I am clearly not qualified to provide much in the way of hints and tips about how to do things better. This is therefore not an instruction manual! If you want a ‘how to’ guide, there are a few web sites that impart some of their dark secrets. I have no secrets (dark or otherwise), silver bullets (NB. a good thing) and no magic wand (Harry stole it). What I can do, though, is to relate my experience of photographing guitars over a number of years, and that alone may (or may not) prove insightful. As for the Zen bit of the article’s title, although photographing vintage guitars is essentially a practical application of repetitive technique, I approach creative outcomes with a certain meditative and philosophical frame of mind practiced in the here and now. I think.

I do this from the standpoint of a complete amateur trying his best to capture the visual essence of what makes vintage guitars visually so unique and desirable. For once, I’m not delving into the realm of playing guitars (I’m OK‑ishly proficient at best), neither am I exploring the sounds produced by guitars (I’m not obsessed with searching for the ‘holy grail’ of tone). This is primarily about their visual appearance. As you probably know, I enjoy the whole experience of vintage guitar gear to the point of obsession and addiction. Photographic imagery is my way to share this fascination with others. Personally, I see this as an important and integral part of my mission to spread the CRAVE Guitars’ word.

“There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs” – Ansel Adams (1902‑1984)

A photo is just a photo, isn’t it? Photographing guitars is easy, right? One might think so. Guitars don’t have unpredictable human temperament (you don’t have to make them pose or smile) and they (generally) stay where you put them. There are no time constraints on any stage of the procedure (they don’t get tired or need cups of tea!). True on all three counts. As static photo models go, the methodology should prove smooth and stress‑free. As is so often the case, though, doing something well requires a bit more diligence than the basic notion might otherwise suggest.

While it may seem uncomplicated prima facie, photographing guitars well is actually not as straightforward as one might think. It’s not just a case of pointing a lens at them and the job is done. Nope. Nowhere close. To take photos with any sort of consistent competence requires time, effort and a modicum of acquired ability. To do it exceptionally, requires a highly proficient skillset (I can only assume that latter point, seeing as I cannot demonstrate such proficiency!). I believe my photographic ability lies somewhere along the continuum from hopeless to expert, probably in the area of basic competency and rudimentary adequacy. Quite possibly, my talents lie somewhere else altogether. Unfortunately, I can’t afford to pay for professional photos, so basic and rudimentary will have to do.

Despite the title of the article, this topic isn’t just about CRAVE Guitars, it is also about CRAVE Basses, CRAVE Effects and CRAVE Amps. However, it is the guitars that I am most familiar with and on which the main focus (sic!) of this article will be based.

As usual, no AI has been used for anything this month (other than the image of prehistoric Rock God that is The CRAVEman in his section near the end of the article). This month’s plentiful ‘quotes of wisdom’ are about the art of photography.

“What I like about photographs is that they capture a moment that’s gone forever, impossible to reproduce” – Karl Lagerfeld (1933‑2019)

The Rationale for the Article

Strangely, given the number of photographs I have used over the years to showcase CRAVE Guitars, I think this is the first time that I have ventured any opinion on the subject matter. It is time to change that apparent omission, methinks.

I have always enjoyed taking photographs right from my first Kodak Instamatic in the late 1960s up to my original Olympus OM‑2, a great go‑to 35mm SLR of the late 1970s and 1980s. I also took photography as part of an art foundation college course, also in the late 1970s, so I have a bit of history with it comes to taking pictures, even if only as a youthful enthusiastic lay person. Even then, my creative instincts always went beyond just taking casual point‑and‑shoot holiday snaps and I was always trying to see deeper into subject matter. The cost and inconvenience of film stock was always a limitation for me at the time. Digital photography has proved to be a revolution and a revelation, which has finally come of age. I have, in the past, used Sony and Nikon digital cameras to good effect, although I’ve never been a fan of Canon.

So… why look into the process of capturing the aesthetics of vintage guitars this month? The trigger came in feedback to a social media post of a headstock close up photo. The comment basically said, “I hadn’t noticed that in the photo of the whole guitar”. So, here we are, looking into that thought in more detail. This then led onto a series of more practical‑style close up photos of components that stood out for me. It was then a short step to thinking less about the guitars themselves and more about drawing out some of the elements that set vintage guitars apart from their modern counterparts. In effect, all I am doing is accentuating the expert industrial design that went into the creation of the instruments in the first place. I am just a middle‑man; the familiar archetypal designs have already been in existence for decades. I am just a mechanism for emphasising some of them for enjoyment.

“A great photograph is one that fully expresses what one feels, in the deepest sense, about what is being photographed” – Ansel Adams (1902‑1984)

I will state at this point that there are many, many people who take far, far better photographs than I will ever produce. However, that sad fact doesn’t prevent me from trying. My skills are very lacking and it is a frustrating exercise to produce something that I feel is barely adequate enough to share on social media and on the web site. I am not qualified or trained in the art, although I would have liked to have been. I am always keen to improve my ability, although not in a structured academic way. I like taking photographs of many things, not just guitars. I think I just about have a ‘good eye’ for images, developed more out of curiosity, rather than educated technique. I will say that taking good photographs comes from patience and persistence and has little or nothing to do with fancy photographic equipment. Good photo gear might make things easier though.

As far as I can tell, my first stab at photographing vintage guitars in a systematic way was in early c.2002 when I recorded ‘portraits’ of the guitars I had at the time, including ones that I have owned for the longest period (since c.1978), the 1975 Gibson Les Paul Standard and the 1977 Fender Stratocaster. The images predate my interest in vintage guitars and the formation of CRAVE (Cool & Rare American Vintage Electric) Guitars in mid‑2007. Here are the 2002 images, I think you’ll agree, things have moved along in the last quarter century…

At the time of writing, I do not have or use any professional photography equipment. The camera that I use is a humble iPhone, albeit the best that I can afford. My current ‘camera’ is an Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max, which I bought mainly for its camera capability, not for any other reason. To‑date, I have not supplemented the iPhone with any accessories or equipment to make the process easier or better. I currently only use natural light, as I don’t have access to any studio lighting equipment. The backdrops I use are what I have to hand – floorboards, a (too) small American flag and an old duvet cover (CRAVE’s go‑to purple satin background). I don’t have any fancy purpose‑built tripods, frames, stands, lights or backgrounds. I take hand held photos in the house’s run‑of‑the‑mill living space, nothing at all that could be described as specialised or fit‑for‑purpose. That’s it. Absolutely nothing exceptional. A lot can be achieved with everyday items and a bit of ingenuity. Photography definitely doesn’t have to be elitist and expensive in 2026. Thankfully.

“Creativity is a wild mind and a disciplined eye” – Dorothy Parker (1893‑1967)

The key for me is to create a consistent, and hopefully, easily identifiable, look. The overall presentational style is all part of the carefully crafted CRAVE Guitars brand image with all the elements intended to work in synergy. I try hard not to do anything that diverges from the core ‘brand’. I have an image (sic!) to protect after all. At this point, I have to state that all CRAVE Guitars’ photographs are copyrighted with ‘all rights reserved’ and unauthorised use of them is prohibited. Take note image thieves.

The aim of CRAVE Guitars’ photography is not to produce lasting gallery‑worthy artistic images, to record newsworthy events or to generate income. Those won’t be my legacy. CRAVE Guitars’ aim is far more quotidian; partly to document the object and partly an attempt to convey some of the object’s physical characteristics in the best possible way. If this can be done in a visually attractive way, all the better. However, the patience and discipline needed to obtain the best image possible is a fundamental basis for both aesthetic and documentary photography. That doesn’t mean that one can’t have fun with reality and use a little creative expression to add ‘un soupçon du je ne sais quoi’ to complement the basic pictures once in a while.

“All the technique in the world doesn’t compensate for the inability to notice” – Elliott Erwitt (1928‑2023)

Some Basic Photographic Underpinnings

The word photography derives from the Greek, meaning ‘drawing of light’. The modern use of the word is widely attributed to English astronomer Sir John Herschel (1792‑1871) from 1839.

The very earliest form of image projection was the pinhole camera or camera obscura and may date as far back as the 4^th Century BCE in both Greece and China. The camera obscura led to the development of lenses to control focus (image sharpness) and diaphragms to control aperture (amount of light entering the camera) in the 16^th Century. The box‑type camera obscura was used as the basis for experimentation in the development of the first photographic cameras.

The photographic process depends on two basic steps; the first is to use a device to expose an image onto a light sensitive surface, while the second is to develop and fix (store) the image permanently. Those basics have held true from the earliest experiments to today’s technologically advanced digital cameras.

The earliest surviving photograph dates to 1826, captured by Nicéphore Niépce (1765‑1833) using a process called heliography. It was Louis Daguerre (1787‑1851) that developed the first commercially available photographic plate process, the daguerreotype. At the time, all images captured were monochrome. Photographic film became available from 1888, invented by George Eastman (1854‑1932). The first mass‑market Kodak Brownie camera appeared in 1901. Colour photography, invented by Auguste and Louis Lumière, was made commercially available in 1907. Colour slide film was introduced by Eastman Kodak with Kodachrome in 1935 and Ektachrome in the 1940s. Kodak discontinued slide film production in 2009 following the rise of digital photography.

While the first digital image was produced in 1920, digital photography really began with the development of the charge‑coupled device (CCD) invented at the Bell Laboratory in 1969. A CCD was used to capture images electronically and store the resulting file in computer memory. The CCD provided the archetype for today’s digital camera sensors, which now use active pixel sensors (APS) developed by Olympus. It wasn’t until 1986 that Kodak developed the first megapixel (one million pixel) solid state image sensors, with Nikon leading the innovation.

While CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) is the current sensor of choice (in 2026), the future of digital photography may lie in ultra‑high performance ‘gigajot’ QIS (Quanta Image Sensor) able to resolve down to a single photon of light.

Digital photography has led to global democratisation of electronic imagery in the 21^st Century. An example of this is Google Images. It has also been a stimulus to so‑called ‘citizen journalism’ – ordinary individuals reporting news events to a mass audience without being a formal press journalist. Digital images are now the standard form of photographic process in 2026.

There are basically three general forms of professional photography:

Photojournalism – documenting important cultural, political and social stories and events for posterity
Commercial photography – marketable commissioned products for business and private clients
Art photography – translating an artist’s vision and creativity for aesthetic appreciation

There are plenty of sub‑genres of photography, many of which overlap and merge. Familiar examples include: portrait, wedding, landscape, wildlife, macro, abstract, street, travel, lifestyle, product, fashion, advertising, event and scientific photography, amongst many others. These sub‑genres are generally specific and exclude the whole raft of everyday family and holiday snaps. It is the diversity of styles that makes photography such a popular pastime for many people around the globe.

In addition to the professional types, the vast majority of photographs are taken by hobbyist amateurs and are generally for reminiscence and nostalgia, rather than for profitable or artistic ends. CRAVE Guitars photography probably fits in this broad catch‑all category. I do, however, try hard not to produce a multitude of below‑par run‑of‑the‑mill images. Any merit in CRAVE Guitars’ images is for others to judge.

Some of the world’s best spontaneous photographs that capture an ephemeral historical moment require the photographer to be in the right place at the right time with a camera always at the ready. Fortunately, CRAVE Guitars has the benefit of being able to control and choose every step of the process. And I still get to mess up!

“To photograph is to put on the same line of sight the head, the eye and the heart” – Henri Cartier‑Bresson (1908‑2004)

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

THE GOOD is very easy to determine and I hope blindingly obvious – good subject matter. One thing I love about vintage guitars is that they are (mostly) just gorgeous objects as well as great musical instruments. When the items are amazingly beautiful vintage guitars, it makes things simpler and I strongly believe that the guitars themselves distract from any shortcomings in my ability to photograph them. I am pretty sure that many top photographers will attest to the importance of what is being photographed more than the tools used to capture them or the skill of the person pressing the shutter release. The only saving grace is that I now have some experience behind me, which has improved the outcomes over a considerable period since at least 2002. It is an incremental improvement and not always entirely successful. A ‘good eye’ can only get one so far without needing inspiration allied to technical ability and adequate equipment in order to excel.

A look at any of the relevant magazines and Internet sites shows what can be achieved. Most of what is out there, though, concentrates on showing new guitar gear in its best light (sic!) for marketing use. Vintage guitars, simply by their existence today, show their innate character, their idiosyncrasies and their scars of a lifetime of playing music. They are far from perfect – some seem relatively untouched while others are battered and bruised. To me that variety is part of their attraction.

No two vintage instruments are identical under scrutiny. I am not in the occupation of acquiring museum‑grade, sterile examples that are so valuable that one is too afraid to use them. I love the genuine articles showing their sometimes graceful and sometimes ungraceful, genuine aging (not the modern trend of fake ‘relic’ guitars). I have said it before (many times) and I’ll say it again. I believe in the Japanese concept of wabi sabi, that something can be, ‘perfect because of an object’s imperfections’. It is that quintessence that I’m trying to capture as much as their inherent design characteristics. The guitars themselves may not be able to tell any stories but they sure bear the signs of having lived as part of many stories.

Gallery of Acceptable Images – One for the ‘good’ pile. Just about. Each of these still have issues (note the crease in the American flag!) Sometimes things work out OK and the unadulterated image outcome is, well, OK. If the image ‘pops’ and flatters the guitar, then I’ll let it past quality control. They may still not be perfect (nothing is) but they are generally… OK.

Gallery of Close Up Images – Seeing the whole guitar is one thing and is the main thing that people probably want to see most. However, sometimes, it is nice to pick out a detailed element of a guitar and make it into the main subject of a photograph. Sometimes, the details can prove fascinating and possibly overlooked within the context of the whole instrument.

“For me, the subject of the picture is always more important than the picture” – Diane Arbus (1923‑1971)

THE BAD is also relatively straightforward. Guitars are not the easiest of things to pose without it being blooming obvious that something is being used to position guitars in a way that makes the image capture easier. There are some accepted ways of showing guitars off, such as guitar hangers. These are OK but make a total mess of photographing the neck/headstock area or the instrument as a whole. Guitar stands have the same drawback, particularly getting in the way of guitar bodies. Try positioning most guitars horizontally such that the neck is not out of whack and see how tricky it is, especially so that there is nothing to make it look ‘wrong’. Even when the overall positioning is as good as one can get it, getting the right angles to photograph ‘bits’ of the guitar well can be a minefield. Try sketching a guitar at various angles and you’ll see how difficult it is to get the proportions and perspectives looking ‘right’. I would like to invent some form of contraption that could allow one to position a guitar accurately for photography while also not being visible. If there is a trick to this, I’ve missed it so far.

There are a couple of other considerations here. One is the use of natural light; one has to pick the right ‘quality’ of light. Dull but relatively bright is best to minimise intrusive contrast between highlights and shadows. Non-direct light sources generally scatter visible light photons better. Bright sunshine is too harsh for guitar photography. Too dark and the subtleties are lost. Another consideration is that ordinary shadows produced by things in the environment and/or the camera/photographer can intrude and aren’t always obvious. Sometimes, if there is a similarity of colour or contrast in the setting, the form of the object can be concealed, particularly in the darker areas. Not good when the shape of a guitar is important to the final composition. Sometimes, these things can be foreseen but sometimes it only becomes clear later on in the process. Necessary re‑shoots are a pain but inevitable.

Eagle‑eyed onlookers may spot some vintage dust in some images. I don’t have a problem with showing that these are used, played and, while well‑maintained, and are unashamed to be presented in that way. New guitars are, in my opinion, like new cars, overly pristine (yes, even the heinous ‘reliced’ instruments). “Hold the front page!” CRAVE Guitars are decades old and brandish their wear, tear, scars, flaws and tarnish proudly (even with specks of rust and dust). I’ve put this particular aspect under ‘bad’ for those who may see such blemishes as neglect and abuse. Not so. Such things are all part of their authentic vintage character, ageing naturally. It is also a bit of an intentional middle‑finger to the abhorrent ‘collecterati’ who demand perfection commensurate with their detestable dollar. Heck, people will pay good money for vintage dust!

“To me, photography is an art of observation. It’s about finding something interesting in an ordinary place…I’ve found it has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them” – Elliott Erwitt (1928‑2023)

THE UGLY is probably the bane of all photographers attempting to make guitars look their best. Most guitars have glossy finishes or parts that reflect light. Yup, the one major thing that can make an otherwise OK photograph unusable is reflections. Given that I use natural light in an ordinary room using a hand held smart phone camera, reflections are, frankly, a complete pain in the ass. While one can try to minimise reflections (at best – they are hard to eradicate completely) using angles, it isn’t always possible without messing up the composition. Proportions can be thrown totally out – for instance ugly foreshortening or distorted angles/perspectives – all caused by just a small change in angle. Chrome or gold plated pickup covers and control plates can be a nightmare. One can quite easily miss an annoying reflection during a shoot, only to realise how bad it is afterwards. Reflections are generally of two types; one can be the light itself (bright highlights) or it can be other things in the room that get reflected in a finish. Sometimes, given my totally amateur approach, I just have to put up with some light/reflection anomalies. Look close enough at most CRAVE Guitars’ photographs and you can see lighting reflection problems. Most other things are easier to solve compared to this ugly and frustrating phenomenon. Once noticed, one cannot not see it. Non‑reflective and free‑standing gear like effect pedals and amplifiers are far easier to photograph.

Below are some montages brought together to demonstrate some of the things discussed above. As far as the ‘monstrosities’ are concerned, once spotted, one cannot unsee them and they crop up just about everywhere. For two of the examples, I’m showing ‘before’ and ‘after’ versions, so you can view the originals then they’ve been marked up to emphasise the (worst) issues, in true before & after, ‘spot the difference’ fashion.

Gallery of Monstrosities: Light Problems – This definitely falls into the ‘ugly’ category. Light is needed for photographs but light reflections should not encroach onto the subject such that it distracts the eye. I have ringed the problems, as if they aren’t already obvious.

Gallery of Monstrosities – Light Problems Before

Gallery of Monstrosities – Light Problems After

Gallery of Monstrosities: Dark Problems – Also definitely ‘ugly’. This is the close relative of light reflections. This time, it’s not light but objects of any sort, including backgrounds that are reflected and, again, intrude onto the subject and distract the eye. Again, ringed for emphasis.

Gallery of Monstrosities Dark Problems Before

Gallery of Monstrosities Dark Problems After

Gallery of Monstrosities: Contrast Problems – One for the ‘bad’. Sometimes, when trying to accentuate something, one ends up obscuring something else in the process. Over or under exposure can be interesting but it can also be highly irritating.

“My ultimate goal is to try to make the ordinary look extraordinary” – Martin Parr (1952‑2025)

On a Technical Note

As mentioned above, a lot can be achieved with a little. Overcoming the hurdles of the good, the bad and the ugly is one thing. However, so far, everything has been up to the point of ‘pressing the shutter’ and the image is captured by the camera’s sensor. We are in the 21^st Century and despite the enduring nostalgia for genuine film (now the pictorial equivalent of vinyl records), we are generally talking about digital photography here.

One of the huge advantages of digital photography is that one can take unlimited photos and review them instantly, discarding the obviously bad ones and retaining the best. Digital is also cheaper per image than film can ever be. Another big bonus of digital photography is that it makes exposure so much easier than in the old days. Things like automatic shutter speed, aperture, ISO sensitivity, depth‑of‑field, under/over exposure, etc. are less critical than they once were, making it harder for people to take a ‘bad’ photograph, at least as far as exposure goes. In this case electronic automation can be a blessing. It does, though, make it harder to raise the bar, which I endeavour, albeit falteringly, to achieve.

One thing that I have learned is to see (not look at) what needs to be incorporated and what needs to be omitted long before one picks up a camera (phone), which includes not only the objects in the frame (foreground and background) but also what is in the environment that can impact on the result. Once one learns to see and visualise the outcome, then that is the time to pick up the camera.

A great deal is made of camera sensor resolution. In reality, it isn’t just the number of megapixels that matter, it is the quality of the lenses, the way that the circuits process the image including things like focal length, dynamic range, image cropping, focusing, tracking, ‘shutter’ speed, contrast, sensitivity, noise, colour accuracy and compression. Digital zoom is just horrible, a good physical zoom lens is so much better. In old school 35mm photography a standard focal length lens is 50mm. Less than 50mm is wide angle, more than 50mm is telephoto. For guitar photography a slight telephoto focal length equivalent to 70‑80mm is ideal, essentially the same principle as for portrait photography.

Higher pixel count means larger file sizes, which can be an issue for social media and web pages. As things stand in 2026, a 12 megapixel image is more than good enough for general efficiency and efficacy. A 24 megapixel or higher image is better where fine detail and/or large image sizes matter. Unprocessed RAW images (so‑called digital negatives) are not a priority in this context unless one is aiming to produce professional standard results. As a rule, you can’t add in pixels that aren’t there in the first place, so it makes sense to adopt the best sensor resolution possible for the task at hand.

“If your pictures aren’t good enough, you’re not close enough” – Robert Capa (1913‑1954)

Post‑Processing

One unavoidable and essential aspect of the photographic process in the 21^st Century is digitally altering an image after it has been taken. In the olden days, it used to be done in a darkroom with limited facilities for creativity. Digital post‑processing can be a wonderful creative tool. It can also be an image saver if some unforeseen artefact wasn’t picked up in the shoot. However, it can also easily be a potential disaster area in the making. Nowadays, many people snap lazy images and then spend hours using software in an attempt to recover something from a bad photo and, in some cases, they then go on to make it even worse! A central tenet of quality assurance is, ‘get it right first time, every time’ (GIRFTET). Adopting a GIRFTET method makes everything that follows much simpler. Such an approach reduces errors, improves quality and consistency, shortens process time, and enables continuous improvement.

Post‑processing, to me, falls into two broad categories; the first as a functional tool to fix minor errors and correct small artefacts, and the second as a creative tool to effect the whole image intentionally and to change it substantially from the original. One thing to consider, is that it is a very, very good idea to keep the original unaltered image and then work on a copy as, once an image has been bastardised, it can be very difficult to revert back. Keeping an original copy means one can easily start over if need be. Following a step‑by‑step methodology also helps – varying too much in one go is a recipe for a mess.

Once the image has been captured and stored, it can easily be transferred to a laptop and, if necessary, manipulated in photo/graphics software to make it more usable. Once again, I don’t have professional software to manage and/or manipulate digital images of guitars. Popular packages such as Adobe Photoshop or Corel PaintShop Pro are available to those who want to pursue post‑processing seriously. For me, I can’t justify the subscription investment in terms of either funds or training. I use simple ‘free’ graphics software called, Paint.net. It isn’t the most sophisticated toolkit but it does most of the basics well enough.

“It is an illusion that photos are made with the camera… they are made with the eye, heart, and head” – Henri Cartier‑Bresson (1908‑2004)

In the old days of film, darkroom manipulation required a whole extra level of skill, as well as the need for a dedicated darkroom facility along with the equipment, materials and chemicals needed. Image editing software means that a ‘laboratory’ is no longer a prerequisite for image production. Digital editing simplifies, speeds up and reduces the cost of preparing a digital image for sharing electronically. Thankfully, picking up the software skills are only costly in terms of time and tolerance. For an amateur like me, technological progress here has proved to be a wonderful thing.

There is, however, one fundamental issue that I have with the whole idea of digital image post‑processing and that is that it can often be seen and used as a cure‑all for bad photography and a temptation to mess around with an otherwise OK image. I am very firmly of the belief that the basic principle of ‘rubbish in/rubbish out’ applies. Take a good photograph and it should need a lot less manipulation after the fact. Take a bad photograph and no end of messing around with it is likely to improve it to a condition that is acceptable.

“No amount of toying with shades of print or with printing papers will transform a commonplace photograph into anything other than a commonplace photograph” – Bill Brandt (1904‑1983)

With a bit of practice, effective post‑processing can become second nature. At its simplest, this can be judicious cropping an image that is less than ideal in composition. Another learning point… cropping an image to improve composition can be rejected by social media platforms like Instagram, as it doesn’t like non‑standard aspect ratios. Editing can also prove useful in cleaning up tiny blemishes that might have been missed in the original photo shoot (usually cat fur in the CRAVE household!). However, coming back to ‘the ugly’ above, it is almost impossible to eradicate bad reflections effectively. Similarly, dealing with colour imbalance can be a nightmare, having to use software to manage contrast, brightness, hue, saturation, highlights/shadows, exposure, colour temperature, tint, hues, RGB, etc. It is very, very difficult to resolve fundamental issues unless one spends a great deal of time becoming proficient. Like many guitarists, I prefer to be playing guitars rather than fiddling around with the finer points of image editing software (and I have a professional background in IT as well!)

There are a lot of creative tools in image processing software these days. If the intention is not to create accurate images but to produce artistic effects, then image manipulation can be a great deal of fun. Sadly, I don’t have enough time to explore the full range of effects for CRAVE Guitars but there are some series where I push images to be pleasing to the eye rather than a forensic representation of the physical object. For instance, I do this for CRAVE Guitars’ Instagram series of images. I also use them for some close ups. Given the subject matter, creative effects are the exception, rather than the norm. At its simplest, creating a black & white or sepia version of a colour image is easy, as is adding a vignette or some sort of digital filter. It is preferable to do as much ‘in camera’ and as little in image editing as possible. I would like to do more in the way of creative ‘artistic interpretation’ one day.

Gallery of Post‑Processed ‘Creative’ Images – Sometimes it’s nice to play in the sandpit of digital image manipulation to create something that is perhaps more appealing to the eye than it is to catalogue and archive reality. This is where image editing software comes in. It isn’t a priority but it is something I’d like to explore more.

Other things that I would like to experiment with is to create videos of the instruments to allow people to see them from different perspectives. Another thing that I would like to explore at some point is photogrammetry, using overlapping HD images to create a 3D digital model of the guitars. Both of these would add a complementary approach to standard 2D images. One of the drawbacks of making videos or 3D‑modelling is the aforementioned issue of posing the guitar without obstruction. Essentially, though, the sky is the limit, only constrained by practical considerations and lack of creative imagination on my part.

“Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving. What you have caught on film is captured forever” – Aaron Siskind (1903‑1991)

Final Thoughts on Zen and the Art of Vintage Guitar Photography

My main effort as far as photography is concerned is to produce straightforward acceptable images for use on the website and on social media. That is the bulk of my activity. In addition to the stock CRAVE Guitars photographs with the familiar purple satin background I also produce other series of photographs that don’t appear on the website and only selectively on social media (e.g. ‘flag’ and ‘floorboard’ pics).

“If you don’t have anything to say, your photographs are not going to say much” – Gordon Parks (1912‑2006)

One of the reasons for documenting vintage guitar gear is to record them at a point in time for posterity and an attempt to represent the gear in the best way that I can in that moment. There are other benefits, such as security. In the event that something horrible should happen, for instance damage or theft, there will be plenty of detailed evidence of each and every item. It would be difficult to pass off any CRAVE Guitars without them being easy to identify from available proof of ownership.

Only some photographs make it onto the web site, the minority in fact. Many others are used only on social media. Some may only appear in articles such as this one. Plenty more, probably the majority, are never seen by anyone but me. Some are documentary evidence, some are unacceptable but good enough to keep as snaps, and some were just for convenience or experimentation.

As a typical Virgo star sign, I tend towards being a bit (?!) of a pedantic perfectionist. That is probably not a good trait for a documentary photographer, as I can always find fault with the outcome, which is highly infuriating. What others may think is absolutely fine, I see as a train wreck. Anything slightly off drives me crazy. For instance an alignment that is perhaps just a degree off horizontal when it shouldn’t be, a perspective with a vanishing point that is slightly off centre, an overly distorted foreshortening caused by a badly chosen focal length, or a distracting artefact. Out of focus images and/or poor depth of field are also particular bugbears. Ggrr. Argh. For my sanity, sometimes I have to post a photograph that I wouldn’t otherwise accept.

Regular readers will be aware of my long‑standing aspiration to turn the house’s cold, damp, dark cellar into a CRAVE Cave for the vintage gear. Part of that ambition would be a dedicated studio photography area. There are no windows, so no unsightly light aberrations.

So, in an ideal world, what would be my ideal photography set up? Well, I’d start with a decent full frame mirrorless camera with a decent tripod. I would employ professional backdrops on a dedicated frame. I would use a variety of stand‑mounted studio lights from direct lighting, soft boxes, reflectors, ring lights, etc., suitable for static as well as video photography. In addition, some sort of support(s) for positioning/manoeuvring guitars. I would also go for some quality photo/image processing software. Ultimately, though, these are just tools and, being pragmatic, I cannot justify the cost or space. They wouldn’t necessarily make the photographs any better but they could make my life an awful lot easier. As long as it doesn’t distract from the whole point of CRAVE Guitars, of course.

“Photography helps people to see” – Berenice Abbott (1898‑1991)

As seems to be the case, frustratingly, I have ambitions that extend way beyond my ability to realise them. However, that doesn’t prevent me from trying to improve my skills to showcase CRAVE Guitars’ vintage gear. I will continue to display the ‘collection’ to the best of my ability so that I can share with anyone who might have a similar obsession with these wonderful objects made of wood, plastic and metal. As ‘they’ say, ‘beauty, is in the eye of the beholder’ and ‘truth’ is therefore subjective. Oh, and do not believe anyone who suggests that, ‘the camera cannot lie’. It most certainly can.

So far, I have set things out as a technical, linear process without any emotional component. Firstly, I like looking at things, hopefully in a slightly different way from most people. Secondly, I like taking photographs of things that appeal to me; vintage guitars definitely fall into that category. Thirdly, I like sharing my passion with others and images are the primary vehicle that I use for doing so. As the saying goes, ‘A picture is worth a thousand words’ (NB. The origins of the phrase are unclear but can be traced back to several different sources between c.1911 and 1921, probably drawn from earlier, similar sentiments, meaning that complex ideas can be conveyed by an image more effectively than by a lengthy narrative description). I hope that the notion of an emotional attachment comes through not only in the pictures but also in the words that support them. Photography should be an enjoyable experience and the outcomes satisfying. If it isn’t pleasurable, it probably isn’t worth doing.

For once, I have left behind the sounds and playability of vintage guitar gear, at least for this article. That doesn’t mean that playing them and making music with them is of less significance than their looks. The aesthetic appeal is just one aspect of vintage guitar gear and it is the one way in which I can articulate my passion. Visual appeal is therefore quite an important and integral component of vintage guitar heritage. Another point is that this isn’t just about nostalgia or reminiscence, it is about a practical way of keeping these aging relics of a bygone age relevant in the modern world. Images are used to show how vintage guitars are right now, complete with all their untold back stories. They have lived many decades already and they will live many, many more, hopefully. Long after I’ve gone to that darkroom in the sky. CRAVE Guitars is, after all, just a temporary steward in their long journey.

“The camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera” – Dorothea Lange (1895‑1965)

I am a vintage guitar enthusiast first and foremost, not a photographer. The instruments are my priority. I do not think and do not imply that I am a good photographer from whom something valuable can be gleaned. I make no pretentions or claims to competence and my images, I believe, are testament to that lack of skill. My ability cannot be compared with most professional photographers, yet alone the masters of the trade. My photographs will never be revered as art but that is not what is important. However, it is an essential way for me to look and to see what it is that I am so passionate about and then to use images to tell a bit of their story to others. Ultimately, it is the vintage guitar gear that matters, not my ability or equipment; it is the beauty of the subject that, to my eye, needs to revealed and communicated.

One thing I have learnt more than anything else from feedback is an adaptation of that old adage, ‘you can’t please all the people all the time’. Share photos of the full guitars, people ask for close up images and vice versa. Share photos with some creative post‑processing and people ask for straight images. Share AI images and they want real photos. Share standard photos and they want to see/hear the vintage gear. Share something not on the web site and people say they want images already available. I try to do all of the above and people still find a way to disapprove, often vociferously, such is the toxic nature of unsocial media. Sheesh! One cannot win. It is also one of the reasons that I think social media is a necessary evil to be tolerated, rather than enjoyed. Why can’t people engage harmoniously with a contemporary community of like‑minded individuals? I have now decided to share what I want to post photographically and if people don’t like it, well, they know what they can do! Yup, look elsewhere.

“You can fool of the people all of the time, you can fool all of the people some of the time, but you can’t fool all of the people all of the time” – attributed to various including John Lydgate, Abraham Lincoln and PT Barnum

Just a word on the matter of Artificial Intelligence (AI) which, by all accounts, is the next ‘Big Thing’ that will apparently permeate all parts of our paltry presence. I am reasonably technologically‑minded and I can see both the potential benefits and potential risks of AI. I am no Luddite in that respect. AI will continue to mature in the same way that the Internet did. I think I’m on safe ground in saying that AI will find increasing traction in photography, both in digital camera electronics and in post‑processing image editing software as well as web site creation and social media. I predict that AI will ultimately result in a compromise of both good and bad, as with any other paradigm shift in human technological progress.

Oh, by the way, don’t forget that, in addition to the feature pages, there is a whole menu of picture galleries to be found on the CRAVE Guitars web site by following the link below (opens in a new browser tab):

Link: CRAVE Guitars Picture Galleries

Do I have a favourite CRAVE Guitars photograph? Tricky one that. I would have chosen an image of the stunningly beautiful 1963 Gibson ES‑330 but that had dark reflection aberrations of the sort indicated above. Then I thought of the 1968 Gibson SG Standard, the 1983 Gibson Explorer CMT. Almost there but not quite. There was the 1965 Fender Jaguar, the 1962 National Glenwood 95, the 1962 Gretsch 6120 DC Chet Atkins and the 1972 Fender Mustang Competition, even better. In the end I selected the 1972 Fender Telecaster Thinline ‘floorboard’ image. It is not on the website and I’ve only used it once on social media, so you might have missed it. The Thinline is a beautiful guitar captured in an OK image. A 100% original picture with zero post‑processing. So… here it is for your delectation. Perhaps I could have saved over 8,620 words after all.

OK. How about a least favourite? One image that shows just about every bad thing about a guitar image. There are (sadly) so many examples of rubbish photography but this one (actually on the web site!) is clearly demonstrating a job done badly. Sadly, it is only one of many. Not one’s best moment, I am embarrassed to say. Dear, oh dear.

If I do have any final words of advice about photographing vintage guitars, they would be twofold; a) A good eye is better than good equipment and, b) To produce consistently good images requires a great deal of perseverance, patience and a concentration on the subject matter. Nothing else matters. The following quote is testament to that from someone far wiser than me.

“Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst” – Henri Cartier‑Bresson (1908‑2004)

Photographs in Music

As a bit of a tenuous link to musicology, photographs and photography have appeared in many songs by well‑known artists over the years, including the 20 below, amongst many others (in no particular order):

The Cure – Pictures of You
A Flock Of Seagulls – Wishing (If I Had A Photograph Of You)
Blondie – Picture This
Duran Duran – Girls on Film
R.E.M. – Camera
Depeche Mode – Photographic
J. Geils Band – Centerfold
Neil Young – Distant Camera
Death Cab For Cutie – Photobooth
Wilco – Kamera
Frank Turner – Polaroid Picture
Johnny Cash – Send a Picture Of Mother
Ed Sheeran – Photograph
Taylor Swift – Picture to Burn
Keith Urban – Polaroid
P!nk – Family Portrait
Ringo Star – Photograph
Paul Simon – Kodachrome
Def Leppard – Photograph
Nickelback – Photograph

“Only photograph what you love” – Tim Walker (1970‑)

The CRAVEman as Prehistoric Photographer

As seems to be becoming commonplace these days, The CRAVEman has to get his fearsome Stone Age mug into the show somehow. Here he is trying his best to capture images of his precious prehistoric guitar collection, despite the (hopefully obvious) challenges. He may get the hang of it in a few thousand years’ time!

Useless fact of the month: As a prehistoric individual, The CRAVEman attempts to grapple with the technology of a Victorian bellows camera. He hasn’t yet grasped the concept of flash photography – originally using a carefully measured chemical flash powder comprising a mixture of magnesium and potassium chlorate, placed on a tray and ignited to produce a bright flash. Now we use LED flash guns. Thankfully.

“You don’t take a photograph, you make it” – Ansel Adams (1902‑1984)

CRAVE Guitars’ ‘Album of the Month’

There is no real connection between this month’s article content and this month’s album selection, so there is no point in trying to justify any sort of questionably vague link between the two. This time around, just for the joy of it, I thought I’d go for something a little different. This month’s accolade goes to…

David Bowie – Let’s Dance (1983): Let’s Dance was David Bowie’s 15^th studio album released in April 1983 on the EMI record label. The album was co‑produced by David Bowie and Nile Rodgers. Bowie’s previous album, ‘Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)’ (1980) was a hard act to follow. Typical of the Thin White Duke, he didn’t regurgitate more of the same. Oh no. A total musical transformation and a new image were well up with the prevailing zeitgeist of the time. The album comprised 8 tracks, coming in at just under 40 minutes. Four of those tracks were released as commercial hit singles, ‘Let’s Dance’, ‘China Girl’, ‘Modern Love’ and ‘Without You’, helped to a significant degree by frequent rotation on MTV’s stylised music video coverage at the time.

Bowie was never one to shy away from an unlikely creative transformation. Let’s Dance (the album) received a mixed reception and many found it difficult to categorise at the time, especially as it was a departure from what people expected from a Bowie album. Musicians included several members from Nile Rodgers’ Chic and guitar work from one Stevie Ray Vaughan. The album was toured globally in 1983 as the Serious Moonlight tour. I was fortunate to attend one such concert at the Milton Keynes Bowl in Buckinghamshire, England in 1983. The massive success of Let’s Dance was followed by a creative anti‑climax in David Bowie’s output for many years and nothing subsequently matched the commercial success of Let’s Dance.

When thinking about the staggering legacy left by the late David Robert Jones (real name, 1947‑2016), ‘Let’s Dance’ may not be amongst many people’s top albums. There are way too many excellent Bowie albums to pick just one to stand head and shoulders above the rest. The rationale for choosing ‘Let’s Dance’ is simply that it is an easy listen and, on the whole, very accessible and emotionally buoyant – making it an enjoyable musical experience. RIP Ziggy Stardust, a.k.a. Mr. David Bowie.

BELIEVE IN MUSIC!

“To photograph truthfully and effectively is to see beneath the surfaces” – Ansel Adams (1902‑1984)

Tailpiece

Well, that was a bit of an epic journey, far longer than I thought it would be. As mentioned at the beginning of this article, I can’t believe that it has taken over 100 blog posts over almost twelve years to get around to the subject of vintage guitar gear photography. When the epiphany occurred, it was a relatively easy topic to cover. I hope that there was something illuminating (sic!) for you to enjoy. I will persevere to improve my photographic skills.

“One should really use the camera as though tomorrow you’d be stricken blind” – Dorothy Lange (1895‑1965)

For once, I already have an idea for the topic(s) for next month. I just have to put finger to keyboard to compose something that will make sense. I hope you’ll return to find out what I’m planning. Let’s hope there is still a habitable world in which such an editorial can be brought to fruition.

Truth, peace, love, and guitar music be with you always. The CRAVEman, signing off for now. Until next time…

CRAVE Guitars’ ‘Quote of the Month’: “Music is like essential life blood with the heart providing the rhythm, the brain providing the melody, the blood vessels providing the arrangement and the blood cells providing the individual notes. A perfectly balanced system in synergy, created over aeons”

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28 Jul 2019

July 2019 – The Story of Modern Music in 1,500+ Facts – Part V

by CRAVEGuitars | posted in: History, Introduction, Observations | 0

Introduction

Okeydokey guitar and music fans out there. If you are reading this 5^th part of the series of articles, I hope you know the routine by now, so I won’t bore you with any further preamble and we can get on with the latest episode.

If you would like to (re)visit the first four parts (covering 300 years) of the story to‑date, you can do so here (each link opens a new browser tab):

Before we delve in to the Fifties, I was asked a very good question following the last article, which was…

Question(s): “A young Elvis Presley sang ‘Old Shep’ in a talent contest… he came 2nd. I would dearly like to know who beat the future ‘King’ of rock and roll. Do you happen to know if it was a fellow pop star?”

Answer: Many reports say that the young Elvis came 2^nd. However, in a later interview, Presley said that he came 5^th. The photograph of the prize giving presentation suggests that Presley may be correct in his recollection as three others are holding prizes while the young Presley, standing on the far right of the photo below wearing glasses, is standing empty-handed. The winners, as far as anyone knows, did not go on to become famous.

This also raises the point of illustrating the facts. I actually have some interesting images for each and every fact listed in these articles. While a picture can convey many words, to add that many photos, each publication would become humongous to wade through. I know people like to see pictures, rather than read volumes of sometimes repetitive narrative. On this occasion, it is probably better not to illustrate each fact. Apologies to all the picture loving people out there.

Once again, so much happened in the course of the 1950s that the decade demands a discrete article to itself. Let’s go…

The Story of Modern Music Part V 1950-1959

For many people, the birth of rock ‘n’ roll heralded a whole new era of popular music. So, as we get to the 1950s, this article will cover what was going on in the world that enabled such a musical revolution to take place and the fundamental cultural changes that went along with it. The world would never be the same again. It is worth remembering that, at the time, not everyone was excited about change and many conservative traditionalists fiercely rejected and resisted such a rebellious and irreversible transformation.

Historical Context 1950-1959

For most developed economies, the 1950s was a period of slow recovery from the severe consequences of WWII. However, the world was not without conflict and warfare in many other regions including in Asia, Africa and South America. The Cold War continued to fester, fuelled by intense competition between the democratic United States and communism Soviet Russia. The bitter rivalry included reciprocal nuclear weapons testing, military escalation and the start of the ‘space race’. The McCarthy ‘witch hunts’ of communist subversive and treasonous American citizens fuelled bitter political conspiracy and widespread public paranoia. The threat of mutually assured destruction maintained a fragile stalemate between west and east. By the end of the decade, as employment and income levels began to improve, individual freedoms and opportunities would lead to a paradigm shift in civilised countries including radical social, political, technological and cultural change that would set the dynamic scene for following decades.

Year	Global Events
1950	The Korean War started between the communist North supported by Russia and China, and the capitalist South supported by America – the war lasted until 1953 when the Korean Demilitarized Zone was implemented to separate North and South.
1951	The precursor to the European Union, the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), was formed when six countries signed the Treaty of Paris.
1952	British monarch, King George VI died and Elizabeth II became Queen of the United Kingdom. Republican politician and army general Dwight D. Eisenhower was elected 34^th President of the U.S.A.
1953	New Zealand mountaineer Sir Edmund Hillary and Nepalese Sherpa Tenzing Norgay became the first people to reach the summit of the world’s highest mountain, Mount Everest. One of the first films to depict youthful rebellion and which would become a reflection on American social tensions, ‘The Wild One’ was released, directed by Laslo Benedek and starring Marlon Brando. The scientific paper describing the double-helix structure of DNA was authored by Britain Francis Crick and American James Watson.
1954	The term rock ‘n’ roll was coined by DJ Alan Freed and the associated teen culture became hugely popular, particularly in America and Britain. British athlete Roger Bannister becomes the first man to run the four minute mile.
1955	Renowned German physicist Albert Einstein died in Princeton, New Jersey, America in 1955 at the age of 76. The Warsaw Pact defence treaty between Russia and seven neighbouring Eastern Bloc states was signed during the ‘Cold War’ standoff. The classic film drama of teen alienation, ‘Rebel Without A Cause’ was released, directed by Nicholas Ray and starring James Dean. The phenomenally successful MacDonald’s fast food chain was established in America by Ray Kroc. The Vietnam War between the Communist North and the Capitalist South started, which lasted until 1975.
1956	The Suez Crisis erupted following Egyptian nationalisation of the Suez Canal, creating conflict in the Middle East.
1957	Russia launched the Sputnik 1, the first artificial Earth satellite into space, effectively triggering the space race. The European Economic Community (EEC) was established when six countries signed the Treaty of Rome.
1958	The American National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was set up in Washington D.C.
1959	Marxist leader Fidel Castro established the long‑standing communist dictatorship in Cuba after overthrowing the Batista regime. The British Motor Corporation launched the revolutionary and hugely successful small family car, the Mini, designed by Sir Alec Issigonis. The original model stayed in production until 2000. Alaska and Hawaii formally become an integral part of the United States of America.

Musical Genre Development 1950-1959

The 1950s was a decade of innovation that saw the massive explosion of musical creativity across many genres, fusing influences and generating many new musical styles. Arguably, it was during the 1950s that modern music ‘grew up’ and any suggestions that the popular music crazes of the time were ephemeral ‘fads’ were finally dispelled. Country music remained popular with artists such as Johnny Cash and Hank Williams at the forefront of a revival.

Possibly not a genre in itself but easy listening music became popular in the 1950s and lasted until the 1970s. A form of middle‑of‑the‑road (MOR) music, it found popularity on radio and then extended into various styles of background music, elevator music or ‘muzak’. Easy listening music was often instrumental or vocal interpretations of past popular music standards, rather than anything new in its own right. Some major artists tapped into the appeal, including Burt Bacharach, Henry Mancini, Herp Alpert, The Carpenters and Richard Clayderman.

In the post‑war years, modernistic music, broadly also encompassing experimental and avant‑garde music was being explored by many composers wishing to push boundaries either within existing traditions or by introducing original elements outside prevailing styles. The aim of many composers was to break rules, reject established conventions and challenge audiences in a creative, if frequently alienating, way. Practitioners included Arnold Schoenberg and John Cage.

During the 1950s rhythm and blues music, often shortened to R&B, became popular, being a more upbeat form of blues music. R&B emanated from mainly African‑American music that was widespread during the late 1940s. Record companies promoted R&B toward predominantly urban African American audiences. R&B’s popularity was based on a fusing many influences such as jazz, blues, country and gospel to create strongly rhythmic, beat‑based songs. R&B would, in turn, influence the emergence of rock ‘n’ roll and soul of the late 1950s and 1960s. In response to other influences, R&B changed to include other styles such as doo‑wop. Famous R&B artists of the time included Ray Charles, The Drifters, Sam Cooke, The Platters and the Coasters.

By the mid‑1950s, the cultural clash of blues, jazz and country combined to create a new phenomenon in the United States, rock ‘n’ roll, a phrase popularised by radio disc jockey Alan Freed in 1954. Bill Haley (And His Comets) is often credited as the catalyst although many other artists were instrumental in creating the new youth musical revolution, including Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Fats Domino, Carl Perkins, Chuck Berry and Little Richard. Rockabilly was a very close relation to rock ‘n’ roll at the time popularised by artists such as Buddy Holly and Gene Vincent. Classic rock ‘n’ roll is essentially based on a backbeat dance rhythm performed on electric guitar, bass, and drums, replacing the piano and saxophone as lead instruments. The cultural importance of rock ‘n’ roll cannot be underestimated and its impact went far beyond just a musical genre, influencing lifestyle, film & TV, art, fashion, attitudes, and language. Although its roots can be traced back to the 1930s, it was in the 1950s that rock ‘n’ roll began to pervade modern society, coming as it did at a time of immense post‑war technological, economic, social and political change. On the back of radio coverage, the 45rpm single record would provide a massive boost to sales of rock ‘n’ roll songs to America’s urban counterculture youth. Rock ‘n’ roll began to decline by the early 1960s as other forms of popular music began to dilute its impact.

Musical Facts 1950-1959

During the Fifties, many more household names that we take for granted today came into the world. Modern music began the transition from the traditional forms to more contemporary genres. As younger artists born in the 1930s and 1940s began to create the ‘new’ music, the shift in the balance of ‘facts’ from births, through achievements, to deaths are just beginning to become apparent.

Day	Month	Year	Music Fact
5	January	1950	American guitarist, producer, photographer and co‑founder of punk/new wave/pop band Blondie, Chris Stein was born in Brooklyn, New York.
12	February	1950	English guitarist, former member of progressive rock band Genesis and now a successful solo artist, Steve Hackett was born in London.
13	February	1950	English solo singer, songwriter and ex-member of progressive rock band Genesis, Peter Gabriel was born in Chobham, Surrey.
19	February	1950	English singer, songwriter, guitarist and founder of rock group Wishbone Ash, Andy Powell was born in London.
20	February	1950	American bassist, guitarist, songwriter and co‑founder of jazz rock band Steely Dan, Walter Becker (1950-2017, 67) was born in New York City.
24	February	1950	American singer, songwriter, guitarist and perennial rocker George Thorogood was born in Wilmington, Delaware.
22	April	1950	English born American singer, songwriter and guitarist, Peter Frampton was born 1950 in Bromley, Kent.
13	May	1950	Legendary American soul singer, songwriter, keyboard player and producer, Stevie Wonder was born in Saginaw, Michigan.
13	May	1950	English guitarist, singer, songwriter and member of Anglo‑American rock group Fleetwood Mac from 1968 to 1972, Danny Kirwan (1950-2018, 68) was born in London.
3	June	1950	Pioneering American singer, songwriter, bass guitarist and actor, Suzi Quatro was born in Detroit, Michigan.
18	July	1950	English business entrepreneur and founder of the Virgin empire including Virgin Records and Virgin record stores, Richard Branson was born in London
2	August	1950	English guitarist and singer, best known for his work with rock band Wishbone Ash, Ted Turner was born in Sheldon, Birmingham.
30	August	1950	English guitarist with, amongst others, Whitesnake and Snafu, Micky Moody was born in Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire.
10	September	1950	American guitarist, singer, songwriter and member of rock band Aerosmith, Joe Perry was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts.
14	September	1950	Great English guitarist and co-founder off blues/rock band Free, Paul Kossoff (1950-1976, 25) was born in London.
2	October	1950	English guitarist, bass guitarist and founding member of progressive rock bands Genesis and Mike + The Mechanics, Mike Rutherford was born in Portsmouth, Hampshire.
5	October	1950	Great English guitarist and one-time member of rock band Motörhead, ‘Fast’ Eddie Clarke (1950-2018, 67) was born in London.
20	October	1950	Legendary American singer, songwriter, guitarist, producer and bandleader of The Heartbreakers, Tom Petty (1950-2017, 66) was born in Gainesville, Florida.
22	November	1950	American guitarist, actor and member of Bruce Springsteen’s E. Street Band, Steven Van Zandt was born in Winthrop, Massachusetts.
22	November	1950	American bass guitarist and co-founder of post-punk alternative rock bands Talking Heads and Tom Tom Club, Tina Weymouth was born in Coronado, California.
9	December	1950	Award-winning British singer, songwriter and guitarist, Joan Armatrading was born in Basseterre, Saint Kitts in the Caribbean.
31	January	1951	English guitarist, producer and former member of art rock bands Roxy Music, 801 and Quiet Sun, Phil Manzanera was born in London.
1	February	1951	Great American blues guitarist and skilled slide guitarist, Sonny Landreth was born in Canton, Mississippi.
4	March	1951	Highly accomplished English pop, rock and blues guitarist, singer and songwriter, Chris Rea was born in Middlesbrough.
6	March	1951	Terrific American blues/rock guitarist, singer and songwriter, Walter Trout was born in Ocean City, New Jersey.
17	March	1951	American guitarist, best known as co-lead guitarist with rock bands Thin Lizzy and more recently, Black Star Riders, Scott Gorham was born in Glendale California.
20	March	1951	American blues/rock guitarist, singer, bandmate and older brother of the late Stevie Ray, Jimmie Vaughan was born in Dallas, Texas.
27	April	1951	American guitarist, songwriter, co-founder and former member of hard rock group, KISS, nicknamed ‘Spaceman’, Ace Frehley was born in The Bronx, New York City.
7	May	1951	Formidable Puerto Rican/American rock guitarist, who frequently played with David Bowie and James Brown, Carlos Alomar was born in Ponce.
7	May	1951	Prolific English guitarist and former member of heavy rock band Whitesnake, Bernie Marsden was born in Buckingham, Buckinghamshire.
21	June	1951	American rock guitarist, often seen as sideman to ‘The Boss’, as well as a solo artist, Nils Lofgren was born in Chicago, Illinois.
30	June	1951	Amazing American jazz fusion bass guitarist, composer and founding member of Return to Forever, Stanley Clarke was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
2	August	1951	English guitarist and member of psychedelic progressive rock band Gong and founder of electronic dance band System 7, Steve Hillage was born in London.
19	August	1951	Retired English bass guitarist for the rock/pop band Queen, John Deacon was born in Leicester.
21	August	1951	English bass guitarist, solo artist, one time member of hard rock band Deep Purple and currently with super group Black Country Communion, Glenn Hughes was born in Cannock, Staffordshire.
7	September	1951	American singer, songwriter, guitarist and founder of post‑punk rock/pop group The Pretenders, Chrissie Hynde was born in Akron, Ohio.
18	September	1951	American punk rock pioneer, bass guitarist and member of the Ramones, Dee Dee Ramone (1951-2002, 50) was born in Fort Lee, Virginia.
2	October	1951	English singer, songwriter, bass guitarist, actor, ex‑member of rock band The Police and successful solo artist, Gordon Sumner CBE, a.k.a. Sting, was born in Wallsend, Northumberland.
3	October	1951	Award-winning American blues guitarist, singer and songwriter Keb’ Mo’ was born in Los Angeles, California.
26	October	1951	Flamboyant American bass guitarist and singer with funk/soul artists James Brown and Funkadelic/Parliament, the illustrious Bootsy Collins was born in Cincinnati, Ohio.
1	December	1951	Influential virtuoso American jazz bass guitarist who worked with Weather Report, Pat Metheny and Joni Mitchell, as well as a solo artist, the incomparable Jaco Pastorius (1951-1987, 35) was born in Norristown, Pennsylvania.
4	December	1951	American guitarist and founding member of Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, Gary Rossington was born in Jacksonville, Florida.
16	December	1951	Influential American jazz, blues and rock guitarist Robben Ford was born in Woodlake, California.
26	December	1951	Talented American jazz/rock guitarist who has collaborated with many great musicians over the course of his career, John Scofield was born in Dayton, Ohio.
11	January	1952	American contemporary jazz session and solo guitarist, Lee Ritenour was born in Los Angeles, California.
20	January	1952	American guitarist, singer, songwriter, artist and long‑term member of iconic rock band KISS, nicknamed ‘The Starchild’, Paul Stanley was born in New York City.
7	March	1952	The influential and popular weekly music magazine, The New Musical Express (NME), was launched in the UK.
7	March	1952	American guitarist (as well as bassist and drummer), singer, songwriter and member of funk band The Isley Brothers, Ernie Isley was born in Cincinnati, Ohio.
17	March	1952	Irish guitarist and member of heavy rock bands Gillan and Ozzy Osbourne, Bernie Tormé (1952-2019, 66) was born in Dublin.
2	April	1952	American bass guitarist with southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, Leon Wilkeson (1952-2001, 49) was born in Newport, Rhode Island.
4	April	1952	Legendary Northern Irish blues and rock guitarist extraordinaire, Gary Moore (1952-2011, 58) was born in Belfast.
14	May	1952	Scottish/American singer, songwriter, guitarist founder of alternative rock band Talking Heads and solo artist, David Byrne, was born in Dumbarton, Scotland.
15	July	1952	American guitarist, singer, songwriter and member of proto punk rock band New York Dolls, Johnny Thunders (John Genzale, 1952-1991, 38) was born in Queens, New York.
19	July	1952	American guitarist and member of southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, Allen Collins (1952-1990, 37) was born in Jacksonville, Florida.
21	August	1952	Hugely influential English guitarist, singer, songwriter, actor and co-founder of punk rock bands The Clash and The Mescaleros, the great Joe Strummer (1952-2002, 50) was born in Ankara, Turkey.
19	September	1952	Legendary American guitarist, songwriter, producer and co‑founder of funk/disco/dance band Chic, Nile Rodgers was born in New York.
1	October	1952	Great American rock guitarist and sideman extraordinaire, Earl Slick was born in Brooklyn, New York.
8	November	1952	The UK’s first ever popular music singles chart was introduced by The New Musical Express (NME) magazine. At Number 1 was Al Martino with ‘Here In My Heart’.
14	November	1952	Versatile and prolific American guitarist and songwriter, Johnny A (a.k.a. John Antonopoulos) was born in Malden, Massachusetts.
1	January	1953	American country singer, songwriter and guitarist, Hank Williams died of drug and alcohol-related heart failure in Oak Hill, West Virginia at the age of 29.
6	January	1953	Scottish-born guitarist and co-founder of Australian rock band AC/DC, Malcolm Young (1953-2017, 64) was born in Glasgow.
10	January	1953	American jazz guitarist who has played with Blood, Sweat & Tears, Billy Cobham and Miles Davis, as well a successful solo artist, Mike Stern was born in Boston, Massachusetts.
20	February	1953	American guitarist and co-founder of psychobilly rock band, The Cramps, Poison Ivy (Kristy Wallace) was born in San Bernardino, California.
19	March	1953	American bass player who has played with many great musicians and has a successful solo career, Billy Sheehan was born in Buffalo, New York.
28	April	1953	American bassist, guitarist, and vocalist of alternative rock band Sonic Youth, Kim Gordon was born in Rochester, New York.
5	May	1953	Highly respected English folk singer, songwriter and guitarist, Martin Simpson was born in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire.
15	May	1953	English multi-instrumentalist, composer and talented guitarist, the man behind ‘Tubular Bells’ in 1973, Mike Oldfield was born in Reading, Berkshire.
16	May	1953	Mercurial Belgian-born French gypsy jazz guitarist and composer, Django Reinhardt died from a brain haemorrhage in Fontainebleau, France at the age of 43.
29	July	1953	Influential Canadian singer, songwriter and bass guitarist with rock band Rush, Geddy Lee was born in North York, Ontario.
1	August	1953	Award-winning American blues guitarist, singer and band leader, Robert Cray was born in Columbus, Georgia.
27	August	1953	Hugely influential Canadian guitarist and co-founder of rock group Rush, Alex Lifeson was born in Toronto, Ontario.
27	September	1953	Great Jamaican reggae riddim ‘n’ dub bass guitarist and producer, Robbie Shakespeare, best known as half of Sly & Robbie was born in Kingston.
18	December	1953	American guitarist and singer, well known for his work with The Cars up to 1988, Elliott Easton was born in Brooklyn, New York.
27	February	1954	American guitarist and member of rock groups Santana, Journey and Bad English, Neal Schon was born in Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma.
16	March	1954	American singer, songwriter, guitarist and core member of the rock band Heart, Nancy Wilson was born in San Francisco, California.
12	April	1954	Canadian guitarist and singer who has collaborated with many artists over the years and is bandleader of the Pat Travers Band, Pat Travers was born in Toronto, Ontario.
10	May	1954	American rock ‘n’ roll pioneers, Bill Haley And His Comets originally released ‘(We’re Gonna) Rock Around The Clock’. The world wasn’t ready yet and it didn’t hit the charts until 1955.
12	July	1954	19‑year old American singer, Elvis Presley left his job and signed his first recording contract with producer Sam Phillips at Sun Records in Memphis, Tennessee.
19	July	1954	American record label, Sun Records released the debut single by aspiring American rock ‘n’ roll singer, Elvis Presley, ‘That’s All Right’.
22	July	1954	Virtuoso American jazz fusion/Latin rock guitarist Al Di Meola was born in Jersey City, New Jersey.
28	July	1954	Multi-talented American guitarist and member of hard rock band Deep Purple since 1994, Steve Morse was born in Hamilton, Ohio.
12	August	1954	Influential American virtuoso progressive jazz fusion guitarist, Pat Metheny was born in Lee’s Summit, Missouri.
17	August	1954	Award-winning American virtuoso instrumental rock guitarist Eric Johnson was born in Austin, Texas.
25	August	1954	English punk, pop and alternative rock singer, songwriter, guitarist and producer, Declan MacManus (a.k.a. Elvis Costello) was born in London.
3	October	1954	Legendary American blues/rock guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer, Stevie Ray Vaughan (1954‑1990, 35) was born in Dallas, Texas.
1	December	1954	Australian-born British guitarist, singer and songwriter with punk rock band The Slits, Viv Albertine was born in Sydney.
18	December	1954	German guitarist, known for his work with Scorpions and the innovator behind the Sky Guitar, Uli Jon Roth was born in Düsseldorf.
7	January	1955	The classic hit song, ‘Rock Around The Clock’ was re‑released by Bill Haley & His Comets, entering the UK singles chart. Rock ‘n’ roll had truly arrived.
10	January	1955	German guitarist, best known as a member of rock bands Scorpions and UFO, as well as a successful solo career with his own band, Michael Schenker was born in Sarstedt.
24	January	1955	English pianist, singer, songwriter, bandleader, TV presenter and former member of Squeeze, Jools Holland was born in London.
26	January	1955	Dutch/American guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer Eddie Van Halen was born in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
5	March	1955	American singer Elvis Presley made his American television debut on the KWKH TV show ‘Louisiana Hayride’ broadcast from Shreveport, Louisiana.
31	March	1955	Australian guitarist and co-founder of hard rock band AC/DC, Angus Young was born in Glasgow, Scotland, UK.
13	April	1955	American bass guitarist with funk masters Brothers Johnson, Louis Johnson (1955-2015, 60) was born in Los Angeles, California.
31	May	1955	Australian virtuoso session musician and solo guitarist, Tommy Emmanuel was born in Muswellbrook, New South Wales.
26	June	1955	English guitarist and co-founder of punk rock band The Clash and Big Audio Dynamite, Mick Jones was born in London.
1	September	1955	English bass guitarist, singer and songwriter, best known for his work with punk rock band, The Jam from 1972 to 1982, Bruce Foxton was born in Woking, Surrey.
3	September	1955	English guitarist and ex-member of punk rock band Sex Pistols, Steve Jones was born in London.
12	November	1955	Hugely influential Canadian singer, songwriter and guitarist, former member of Buffalo Springfield, CSN&Y, as well as a phenomenal solo artist, the incomparable Neil Young was born in Toronto, Ontario.
15	December	1955	English bass guitarist best known as a member of punk rock icons The Clash and more recently collaborating with Damon Albarn in The Good, The Bad & The Queen, Paul Simonon was born in Croydon.
4	January	1956	English singer, songwriter, guitarist, producer and founding member of post-punk rock bands Joy Division and New Order, Bernard Sumner was born in Salford.
10	January	1956	The ‘King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’, Elvis Presley made his first recordings for RCA/Victor, including the classic hit single, ‘Heartbreak Hotel’.
27	January	1956	Legendary American singer, Elvis Presley released his classic breakout single for RCA, ‘Heartbreak Hotel’.
28	January	1956	American rock ‘n’ roll singer Elvis Presley made his first national television appearance in America on the CBS TV programme, the ‘Dorsey Brothers Stage Show’.
31	January	1956	English singer and member of punk rock bands Sex Pistols and Public Image Ltd, John Lydon (a.k.a. Johnny Rotten), was born in London.
3	February	1956	American guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer, artist and co-founder of alternative rock band Sonic Youth, Lee Ranaldo was born in Long Island, New York.
12	February	1956	Scottish guitarist and one-time member of rock bands Thin Lizzy and Motörhead, Brian Robertson was born in Clarkston.
13	February	1956	English bass guitarist, best known as member of post‑punk rock bands Joy Division and New Order, Peter Hook was born in Salford.
18	February	1956	Renowned American master luthier, innovator, entrepreneur, guitar maker extraordinaire and founder of PRS Guitars since 1985, Paul Reed Smith was born in Stevensville, Maryland.
12	March	1956	English bass guitarist and founder of heavy metal band Iron Maiden, Steve Harris was born in Leytonstone, Essex.
23	March	1956	American singer Elvis Presley released his eponymous debut album, ‘Elvis Presley’, a milestone that heralded the unstoppable explosion of the rock ‘n’ roll era.
4	June	1956	American guitarist, songwriter and producer, known for playing with David Bowie, Tin Machine and indie rock band The Cure, Reeves Gabrels was born in New York City.
26	June	1956	American singer, songwriter, rock (‘n’ roll) guitarist and actor, Chris Isaak was born in Stockton, California.
15	July	1956	Influential American virtuoso instrumental rock guitarist, Joe ‘Satch’ Satriani was born in Westbury, New York.
27	August	1956	English bass guitarist, songwriter and original member of punk rock band Sex Pistols, Glen Matlock was born in London.
29	September	1956	The rock ‘n’ roll era had clearly arrived when Bill Haley & His Comets had 5 songs in the UK Singles Chart Top 30 including the all-time classic hit, ‘Rock Around The Clock’.
4	November	1956	English guitarist and co-founding member of rock band The Pretenders, James Honeyman-Scott (1956-1982, 25) was born in Hereford, Herefordshire.
6	December	1956	Hugely talented American heavy rock guitarist who played with Ozzy Osbourne and Quiet Riot, Randy Rhoads (1956-1982, 25) was born in Santa Monica, California.
6	December	1956	American guitarist, songwriter and co-founder of rock band R.E.M., Peter Buck was born in Berkeley, California.
23	December	1956	English guitarist, songwriter and long-term member of heavy metal rock band Iron Maiden, Dave Murray was born in London.
16	January	1957	The legendary Liverpool live music venue, The Cavern Club opened its doors for business. The Beatles appeared there an impressive total of 292 times.
27	January	1957	English guitarist with heavy rock bands Gillan and latterly Iron Maiden, Janick Gers was born in Hartlepool.
27	February	1957	English guitarist, songwriter and member of heavy metal band Iron Maiden, Adrian Smith was born in London.
17	March	1957	American singer, Elvis Presley bought the famous 23‑room Graceland mansion at 3764 Elvis Presley Boulevard in Memphis, Tennessee for $102,500.
28	April	1957	English guitarist, composer, producer and member of Bristol‑based trip‑hop group Portishead, Adrian Utley was born in Northampton.
10	May	1957	English bass guitarist with the Sex Pistols, John Simon Ritchie, a.k.a. Sid Vicious (1957-1979, 21) was born in London.
27	May	1957	American rock ‘n’ roll band The Crickets, featuring the late Buddy Holly, released their debut hit single, ‘That’ll Be The Day’ in the US.
2	August	1957	American record producer Butch Vig was born. Vig has worked with many famous rock bands including Nirvana, Sonic Youth and The Smashing Pumpkins.
12	September	1957	Acclaimed German film composer and producer, Hans Zimmer was born in Frankfurt.
22	September	1957	Australian alternative/indie rock singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and band leader of The Bad Seeds, Nick Cave was born in Warracknabeal, Victoria.
24	September	1957	American rock ‘n’ roll legend Elvis Presley released his massively popular hit single ‘Jailhouse Rock’ in the U.S.
10	October	1957	American country music legend Johnny Cash released his debut studio album on Sun Records, ‘Johnny Cash With His Hot and Blue Guitar!’
21	October	1957	American guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer, session musician and a founding member of rock band Toto, Steve Lukather was born in San Fernando Valley, California.
1	November	1957	Award-winning American country singer, songwriter, guitarist and actor, Lyle Lovett was born in Klein, Texas.
8	November	1957	English guitarist and artist best known as a member of the original line up of indie/alternative rock band The Cure, Porl (now Pearl) Thompson was born in Surrey.
8	December	1957	English guitarist and long-time member of heavy rock band Def Leppard – one half of ‘The Terror Twins’ – Phil Collen was born in London.
20	December	1957	American rock ‘n’ roll singer Elvis Presley was served with his U.S. Army draft notice while at his home at Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee.
20	December	1957	English guitarist, protest singer, songwriter, charity founder and political activist, Billy Bragg was born in Barking, Essex.
21	February	1958	The very first ‘modernist’ Flying V guitar, designed by the legendary Ted McCarty, was shipped from the Gibson factory in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
24	March	1958	American rock ‘n’ roll singer Elvis Presley was inducted into the U.S. Army in Memphis, Tennessee.
27	March	1958	CBS Records announced the invention of the stereophonic record, ensuring that they were backwards compatible with the mono record players of the time.
31	March	1958	American rock ‘n’ roll legend, Chuck Berry released his all‑time classic hit single, ‘Johnny B. Goode’. 2 min. 30 sec. of pure magic.
19	April	1958	London’s (in)famous music venue, The Marquee Club first opened its doors at 165 Oxford Street, its original site before moving to 90 Wardour Street in 1964.
25	May	1958	The ‘modfather’ of post-punk rock, member of The Jam, The Style Council and solo artist, Paul Weller was born in Woking, Surrey.
7	June	1958	Legendary singer, songwriter and guitarist, Prince Rogers Nelson (1958-2016, 57) was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
8	July	1958	The Recording Industry Association of America awarded the first official ‘Gold’ album to the soundtrack of the hit film, ‘Oklahoma’.
9	July	1958	After leaving Sam Phillips at Sun Records, country music legend Johnny Cash signed a lucrative contract with Columbia Records, a successful association that lasted for three decades.
25	July	1958	American guitarist, singer and songwriter with alternative rock band Sonic Youth, Thurston Moore was born in Coral Gables, Florida.
7	August	1958	English singer and on-off-on member of heavy metal band Iron Maiden, Bruce Dickinson was born in Worksop, Nottinghamshire.
14	August	1958	American blues singer, songwriter and guitarist, Big Bill Broonzy died from cancer in Chicago, Illinois at the age of 55 or 65, depending on who you believe.
16	August	1958	American singer, songwriter, actress and entrepreneur, Madonna Louise Ciccone, or as we know her, Madonna, was born in Bay City, Michigan.
29	August	1958	American singer, songwriter and member of the Jackson Five, as well as successful solo artist, nicknamed the ‘King of Pop’, Michael Jackson was born in Gary, Indiana.
19	September	1958	English/American rock guitarist, ex-member of The Runaways and successful solo artist, Lita Ford was born in London.
22	September	1958	American singer and US Army conscript Private Elvis Presley sailed on the USS Randall to Friedberg, Germany to serve in the 1^st Battalion, 32^nd Armor Regiment, 3^rd Armored Division.
22	September	1958	American rock singer, songwriter, guitarist, founding member of the Runaways and Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, Joan Jett was born in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania.
20	October	1958	English bass guitarist, singer and co-founder of jazz/funk/pop band Level 42, Mark King was born in Cowes on the Isle of Wight.
28	October	1958	Scottish guitarist, composer and co-founder of indie/alternative rock band The Jesus And Mary Chain, William Reid was born in East Kilbride.
7	November	1958	American rockabilly/rock ‘n’ roll icon, Eddie Cochran had his first hit with the classic song, ‘Summertime Blues’. It reached number 18 in the UK singles chart.
11	December	1958	American bass guitarist, songwriter, producer and co‑founder of heavy rock band Mötley Crüe, Nikki Sixx (real name Frank Feranna, Jr.) was born in San Jose, California.
17	December	1958	American bass guitarist, singer, composer and founding member of alternative rock band R.E.M., Mike Mills was born in Orange County, California.
1	January	1959	American country music legend Johnny Cash performed his first live concert for inmates at the infamous San Quentin State Prison in California.
17	January	1959	American guitarist, singer, songwriter, actress and co‑founder of pop/rock band The Bangles, Susanna Hoffs was born in Los Angeles, California.
3	February	1959	American singer Buddy Holly and 3 others (including stars Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper) died tragically in a plane crash in Iowa. Holly was just 22 years old. ‘The Day the Music Died’.
7	February	1959	American blues guitarist, Eddie ‘Guitar Slim’ Jones died of pneumonia in New York City at the age of 32.
7	February	1959	The funeral of American rock & roll singer, songwriter and guitarist Buddy Holly took place in Lubbock, Texas.
10	April	1959	American rockabilly/swing guitarist, songwriter and bandleader of Stray Cats and the Brian Setzer Orchestra, Brian Setzer was born in Massapequa, New York.
21	April	1959	English, guitarist, singer, songwriter, co-founder and main inspiration behind indie rock icons The Cure, Robert Smith was born in Blackpool, Lancashire.
4	May	1959	The first Annual Grammy Awards was held in two venues simultaneously, in Beverly Hills, California and in New York City. Winners included Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie and Henry Mancini.
5	May	1959	American guitarist and songwriter, best known as guitarist for Billy Idol since the early 1980s, Steve Stevens was born in Brooklyn, New York.
22	May	1959	Controversial English singer, songwriter and former front man of indie rock band The Smiths, Steven Morrissey, was born in Davyhulme, Lancashire.
1	June	1959	The BBC broadcast the first celebrity music panel TV show ‘Juke Box Jury’ in the UK. Guests judged new record releases as a ‘hit’ or ‘miss’. It was hosted by presenter David Jacobs and ran until December 1967.
14	June	1959	American jazz fusion bass guitarist, famed for his work with Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock, Marcus Miller was born in Brooklyn, New York.
11	July	1959	American guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer and long‑term member of rock band Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora was born in Perth Amboy, New Jersey.
17	July	1959	Legendary American jazz singer Billie Holiday died of pulmonary oedema and heart failure caused by cirrhosis of the liver in New York at the age of 44.
29	July	1959	English guitarist, best known for playing with hard rock band Whitesnake, John Sykes was born in Reading, Berkshire.
19	August	1959	American country blues and ragtime guitarist and singer, Blind Willie McTell died from a stroke in Milledgeville, Georgia, at the age of 61.
16	October	1959	English guitarist and member of new wave/pop band Spandau Ballet, Gary Kemp was born in London.

Tailpiece

So… by the end of the 1950s, KABOOM! – Rock ‘n’ Roll had well and truly arrived and there was no going back. The significant influence of rock ‘n’ roll had set in motion further evolutionary strands that would continue to expand horizons in all sorts of different directions during a period of unprecedented creativity. New musical genres demanded technological developments in recording, distribution and consumption of music.

Things are only going to get even more interesting as we go forward. I hope you will return and see what happened in the 1960s and beyond. No cliff‑hanger required, just a touch of gentle encouragement to return here next month. In the meantime, I have plenty more vintage guitars that need some tender loving care, followed by some serious playing workouts. Until next time…

CRAVE Guitars’ ‘Quote of the Month’: “Exercise your right to be you or regret the denial of yourself.”

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